Helical arrow fletching

ABSTRACT

An arrow fletching system has at least one vane or feather that is helically shaped. The helical vane or feather makes a sharp deviation of at least one-eighth, but no more than one-fourth (¼) of an inch from the longitudinal axis of the arrow shaft. The helical vane or feather improves the flight of the arrow by reducing the amount of sound emitted during flight. Additionally, the helical vane or feather causes a high rate of rotation of the arrow during flight to increase the stability during flight, thereby enabling increased accuracy and increasing the rate of speed of the arrow. Also, the helical vane or feather provides an improved surface and shape for the user to grasp, thereby enhancing the overall effectiveness of the arrow.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field Of The Invention

This invention relates generally to an arrow fletching system for anarchery arrow shaft. More particularly, this invention relates to anarrow fletching having at least one archery vane or feather mounted tothe sleeve in a right-to-left helical configuration.

2. Description Of The Related Art

Conventional arrows used for archery have vanes and feathers mounted onan arrow shaft. The vanes or feathers stabilize the archery arrow androtate the arrow during flight. The vanes or feathers are mounteddirectly to the shaft at an end portion of the archery arrow.

The prior art arrow vane or feather configurations are either righthanded, left handed, or straight with respect to an arrow shaftlongitudinal axis. However, these configurations provide lessstabilization for an arrow during flight. Additionally, these prior artarrow vanes are known to emit a whistling sound during flight and scareaway game.

There is an apparent need for an archery vane configuration which, whenthe arrow is in flight, causes rotation of the arrow shaft about thelongitudinal axis at a high rate in order to impart maximum stability tothe arrow shaft. In this way, flight accuracy of the arrow is enhancedfor the entire flight.

There is an apparent need for an archery arrow fletching system thatincludes at least one helically-shaped archery vane or feather mountedand secured with respect to an archery arrow longitudinal axis. There isalso an apparent need for a fletching system configured to reduce thesound produced by an archery arrow during flight. Further, there is aneed for a fletching system configured to increase the stability of anarchery arrow during flight as the arrow speed increases.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A general object of this invention is to provide a helical archery vaneor feather mounted to an outer surface of an arrow shaft.

Another object of this invention is to overcome one or more of theproblems described above.

The above and other objects of this invention can be attained through afletching system including helical archery vanes that are pre-formed andthen mounted to a longitudinal axis of the arrow shaft. The archery vaneor feather is aligned and mounted in a helical configuration withrespect to the arrow shaft longitudinal axis.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of an arrow shaft having helical vanes.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the end portion of the arrow shaft illustratingthe helical shape of the vanes or feather.

FIG. 3 is a view in section of the end portion of the arrow shaft,illustrating the extent of the deviation of the helical vanes orfeathers from the longitudinal axis of the arrow shaft.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the arrow shaft illustrating the feather or vanehelical deviation from the center axis.

In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention that isillustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted tofor the sake of clarity. However, it is not intended that the inventionbe limited to the specific term so selected, and it is to be understoodthat each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operatein a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, an arrow fletching system10 includes an arrow shaft 100, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The arrowshaft 100 may comprise a metal, an alloy, a plastic, graphite or acomposite material, and any other suitable material. The arrow shaft 100has a generally tubular configuration with an inner diameter greaterthan an outer diameter.

The fletching system 10 includes at least one archery vane 40 or feathermounted to an outer surface of a sleeve 20. Preferably, the archery vane40 or feather is adhesively mounted to the outer surface. The archeryvane 40 or feathers can be mounted or attached to sleeve 20 using anysuitable mounting or connecting methods.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, each archery vane 40 orfeathers is skewed or angled with respect to the longitudinal axis ofthe arrow shaft 100. The archery vane 40 or feather is mounted in anunparallel or offset configuration using a jig. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2and 3, the archery vane 40 or feather is helical along the arrow shaft100, extending radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis of thearrow shaft 100.

FIG. 1 illustrates a plurality of vanes 30. Preferably, but notnecessarily, three or four vanes 40 or feathers are positioned on orattached to the arrow shaft 100 in a circumferential relation on theouter surface of arrow shaft 100. As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, forpreferred embodiment of this invention, three vanes 40 are positionedequally about the circumference of the arrow shaft 100. Each vane 40 ispositioned 120 degrees from each of the two other vanes 40. It isapparent to one skilled in the art that more or less than three archeryvanes 40 can be positioned about or on the arrow shaft 100.

The vane 40 includes a generally tapered profile extending from aleading, narrow end to a trailing, wide end. The vane 40 includes adefined profile as shown in FIG. 2 or can have any other suitabledefined profile 35 similar to a shape of any conventional vane thatprovides acceptable aerodynamic flight characteristics.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the helical shape of each of the vanes 40 isdefined to have at least a one-eighth to one-fourth of an inch deviationfrom the longitudinal axis of the arrow shaft 100. Looking at FIG. 3,the arrow vane 40 is shown with the measurement of at least one-eighthto one-fourth of an inch deviation along the longitudinal axis of thevane 40 and arrow shaft 100.

While certain preferred embodiments of the present invention have beendisclosed in detail, it is to be understood that various modificationsmay be adopted without departing from the spirit of the invention orscope of the following claims.

1. A fletching for an archery arrow shaft comprising: a flexible vane orfeather having a generally tapered profile extending from a narrow endto a wide end, and said vane or feather integrated with a perimeter of,said archery arrow shaft, positioned flush with the perimeter of theflexible vane or feather, wherein the flexible vane or feather extendshelical with a longitudinal axis of the arrow shaft.
 2. The arrow shaftof claim 1, wherein said flexible helical vane or feather extendsdeviates at least one-eighth (⅛) but no more than one-fourth (¼) of aninch from the longitudinal axis of said arrow shaft.